Health- and viion-related quality of life among patient with choroidal neovacularization econdary to age-related macular degeneration at enrollment in randomized trial of ubmacular urgery: T report no. 4

Purpoe To decribe the effect of ubfoveal choroidal neovacularization (CNV) from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patient at enrollment in two randomized clinical trial; to examine the relation of viual acuity to HRQOL; to compare HRQOL core between participant with unilateral and bilateral CNV independent of other characteritic. Deign Randomized clinical trial. Method Two ubmacular urgery Trial (T) recruited patient with AMD and either new ubfoveal CNV (Group N Trial) or predominantly hemorrhagic CNV (Group B Trial). Health-related quality of life interview included the National Eye Intitute Viual Function Quetionnaire [NEI-VFQ], the F-36 Health urvey, and the Hopital Anxiety and Depreion cale [HAD]. Linear correlation and regreion analye were ued to relate baeline HRQOL core to viual acuity and bilateral dieae. Reult Interview data were analyzed for 789 AMD patient: 454 patient in the Group N Trial and 335 patient in the Group B Trial. Participant reported poor viion-related functioning in many domain meaured by the NEI-VFQ (mean overall core of 65 for Group N and 63 for Group B). Viual acuity of the better eye wa trongly aociated with NEI-VFQ core but not with F-36 or HAD core. After adjuting for viual acuity of the better eye and other factor, bilateral cae had NEI-VFQ overall core ix point lower than unilateral cae in Group N Trial and 10 point lower than unilateral cae in the Group B Trial. Concluion ubfoveal CNV profoundly affect viion-related quality of life. The effect i more pronounced with bilateral dieae, even after controlling for viual acuity.